The film opens with John Cooper, the legendary figure who helped an unsuspecting little family car write racing history in Monte Carlo, as he has the idea of putting an unreasonably powerful engine in the tiny, yet maneuverable Mini. Sir Alec Issigonis himself, the famous designer of the Mini, expresses his disbelief in Mr. Cooper’s over-ambitious project. At the start line of Rallye Monte-Carlo, the press and the spectators share his distrust. Comments like “Sweet little tin can” and “Big dreams with small chances” become lyrics in an intricate, tension-filled soundtrack that picks up the pace as John Cooper’s Mini starts to overtake opponent after opponent in the hairpins above Monte Carlo. The symphony of naysayers is promptly silenced as the sweet little tin can crosses the finish line first. A modern MINI John Cooper Works overtakes it and powers on through the city streets.

The new MINI John Cooper Works carries forward the epic legacy of a racing legend. Visionary Formula One car maker John Cooper saw motorsport victory in the classic Mini before anyone else. His unrivalled underdog story proves that the faith of the few can change the minds of many. The film was shot entirely on location in Monte Carlo. We painstakingly recreated the original race using car models and even advertising billboards identical to the ones from the original rally in 1964. The crew also used camera technology from that period.

Our aim was to reconstruct in minute detail the original race and the authenticity of that moment steeped in history. After several sessions dedicated to finding the perfect actor for the protagonist opening the film, legendary Formula One car maker John Cooper, we invested a considerable amount of time in picking the best faces to represent the automotive journalists and, last but not least, the audience of the race. In 1964 Le Rallye Monte-Carlo, as the French called it, was mostly enjoyed by the locals. Therefore, we commissioned a French studio to help us perform an extensive street casting in the South of France, for several weeks, looking for the most authentic characters, ones which would require no sophisticated makeup to fit the part.